cook's tour: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Informal, often humorous or ironic.
Quick answer
What does “cook's tour” mean?
A brief, hurried tour that covers many places but gives only a superficial overview.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A brief, hurried tour that covers many places but gives only a superficial overview.
Any rapid, cursory survey or examination of a subject or place, often implying a lack of depth or thoroughness.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The phrase is understood and used in both varieties, but it may be more familiar in British English due to the historical prominence of Thomas Cook in the UK.
Connotations
In both varieties, it implies a hurried, shallow experience. In American English, it may sometimes be misunderstood as relating to a chef (cook) rather than the travel company.
Frequency
Low frequency in both, but slightly more common in British English, particularly among older generations or in travel writing.
Grammar
How to Use “cook's tour” in a Sentence
give someone a cook's tour of somethingtake someone on a cook's tour of somethinga cook's tour around/of/through somethingVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “cook's tour” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- We opted for a cook's tour experience of the museum.
American English
- It was more of a cook's tour approach to the national parks.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used humorously to describe a rushed induction or overview of a new company or project.
Academic
Rare; may be used metaphorically to criticise a shallow literature review or field survey.
Everyday
Used to describe a holiday or day trip where too much is attempted in too little time.
Technical
Not typically used in technical contexts.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “cook's tour”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “cook's tour”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “cook's tour”
- Writing 'Cooks tour' without the apostrophe, or capitalising 'Cook' in non-historical contexts.
- Using it to mean an extensive, well-planned tour.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it can be used metaphorically for any brief, superficial examination of a subject.
Not usually, unless you are specifically referring to the historical tours organised by Thomas Cook.
It is informal and often used humorously or critically.
It is best avoided in formal academic writing due to its informal and idiomatic nature.
A brief, hurried tour that covers many places but gives only a superficial overview.
Cook's tour: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkʊks ˌtʊə(r)/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkʊks ˌtʊr/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A whistle-stop tour (similar but implies many stops in a short time).”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a chef (cook) trying to see an entire city in one hour while also cooking a meal – it's rushed and superficial.
Conceptual Metaphor
TIME IS A RESOURCE (being hurried means using little time for a task, leading to superficiality).
Practice
Quiz
What does 'cook's tour' typically imply?